Uber to open Advanced Technologies Center in Paris focused on flying taxis

Uber’s plan to fill the skies above cities with swarms of electric-powered flying taxis is getting its own dedicated laboratory. The company announced Thursday that it will build a new Advanced Technologies Center in Paris focused on its ambitious Uber Elevate project, the ride-hail company’s first research and development hub located outside North America.

Uber says it will spend €20 million ($23.4 million) over five years to engineer all the backend technology, including AI algorithms and air traffic control systems, necessary to support a full-scale aerial taxi service. The company also announced a five-year research partnership with École polytechnique, the prestigious French engineering school located in a suburb southwest of...